I think this is a bit harsh. I mean he f-d over Rovers, which I detest him for, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think he has been any more 'immoral' than any football manager or, indeed, the average human being. He kept his eyes out for new jobs. Whats wrong with that? Why should he be sentimental when the FA and te English public would happly kick him repeatedly in the balls if he gets two bad results or does something privatel considered out of line. I am sure throughout my working life I will always be keeping half an eye out to see if the grass is greener somewhere else. He shagged about a bit. Not something that I am exactly 'for' as such but whats the problem? The footballers do it, fans do it, i am sure newspaper editiors do it. Absolutely no bearing on his ability to, ahem, perform as manager Got mediocre results. Actually has got very good results in competitive games. I don't buy that we would of done any better with any other manager to be honest. Speculative, I know, but I just can't see an other candidate doing much more. Dishonest, self centred etc etc etc. see- Brian Clough, Glenn Hoddle, George Graham, Terry Venables, Arsene Wenger, Alex Ferguson, Graham Souness, Jose Mourinho, Steve Bruce... How many more years before anybody of any quality refuses the England post? I suppose a true patriot would find it hard to turn it down but really it just seems impossible.

Well if you are splitting hairs - essentially saying that any player who has not been the finest among their generation are not 'appealing' - then Australia are a side entirely filled with players who are not that attractive at all. Positively ugly even. What in God's name is your point? Rooney is one of the finest players in the world who would walk in to any team with the possible exception of Brazil. What difference does it make? He is brilliant, the best available to England, so should be in the team. If Walcott is smilarly brilliant he will be in the squad come May. THe issue is not whether he wins trophies or is 'appealing'. The issue is whether he is one of the five best forwards this country has to offer. What planet are you operating on?

Don't say that! It has to be surely. Im not going to get to see the game tomorrow because my work is full of beestards so I will have Rovers world on the radio. If I dance on my chair because the Ped scores in the 118th minute they are just going to have to deal with it.

Would we fill the stadium do people reckon? Fantastic turnout in 2001 not really replicated in last years trip to Cardiff (but to be fair that was a semi not a final).

So glad to hear that! If anybody is our bogey team its Arsenal. I think we would fancy it against Wigan. Just the small issue of United first though... I really have no idea about this game. Us receiving a thrashing, us dealing out a thrashing, penalties, a tight win/loss all seem possible.

I will be suprised if Hughes doesn't just stick to the same formula that has made us unbeaten in seven games. If Bellamy is fit we are sorted and I guess will lineup exactly as we did a Ewood in the first leg (apart from maybe Zura instead of Todd at the back and Reid instead of Bentley). If Bellamy isn't fit then we are a bit screwed but I am increasingly thinking that Ped will get a run out up front and Peter a start.

That is precisely the sort of player Tugay is. Absolutely brilliant except when he isn't and then he is awful! If he was consistently playing like he had been recently he would of been playing for Milan or Utd or Barcelona years ago and we woul dnever of got a sniff. Similar case with Bellamy. If he didn't have his temper he wouldn't be at Rovers.

He had one good game did that fecker, and it was against us.

We can easily out fight that in the middle of the park! It will be a case of trying not to get hurt when they do get the ball which will be the problem. Is anybody else still amazed that RFW still hasn't bought a central midfielder? I mean they have needed one for about threeyears now, even more so since Keane left. Beggers belief.

I was pretty sure we only bought Reid after Duff went and because he had gone. Emerton was the player who came anyway. I have never understood where all that 22 million went. 7 for Ferguson, 1.5 for Reid, 1.5 for Amoruso still leaves 12. I think paying off a loan was the prevalent theory?

We have won the games we have been expected to win (and one that we weren't in the shape of Argentina in 2002)and lost the games we have expected to lose. The draw against Portugal was a fair result, the sides were evenly matched (plus Portugal had home advantage and Rooney went off injured). Sven certainly hasn't excelled as manager but he has been steady and decent. We are not even guaranteed steady and decent with any of the likes of Curbishley and Allerdyce and the situation is made even more difficult if they only have six months and a few games to get it right. Have you considered that Curbishley or Alledyce could just be a disaster at the job? It is a very real posibility- no experience, no time, never worked at that level, never managed against South American teams who use different tactics, never been in charge of genuine superstar players. I think a lot of people are mistaking Sven not being brilliant with him being a failure- failures, gentleman, are characters in the mold of Keegan and Taylor, not manager who get the national team to quater finals in major competitions where the quality of the squad indicated that was exactly where we should get. Now if there was a candidate who did look like he was brilliant then I would be out with you guys too merrily calling for Svens head. But, sadly, there just isn't. The only English managers who have won a single trophy (happy to be proved wrong on this) in the last ten years are McClaren (and his expensive looking side appears like it is going to go very close to relegation), Royle (now managing Ipswich Town in the Championship) and Brian Little (now at Tranmere). Not brilliant.

Get a bloody life. He made a mistake, and, if you hadn't noticed, Brazil were (and still are) the best team in the world by a mile. I am sure Keegan would of told the England side to charge down into the Brazilian half but then I am quite sure we would of lost under Keegan as well and by more goals. The point is he isn't perfect BUT there is absolutely no else who is available who could offer more. There are precious few who arn't available who could offer more for christsakes.

COme off it. At the last world cup our side wasn't that great, no Rooney or Gerrard. Similarly at Euro 2004 we looked decent with Rooney onthe pitch but when he was injure the overall quality was not as good as 1990 with Gasoigne gone. THe squad is only maturing now and you want him out the door. We do now have an exceptional side but how you imagine a manager of dubious record such as Allerdyce, Pearce or Curbishley (who have only six months and three or four friendlies to get to know the team) will perform better than one who knows them inside out and has garnered very good results and has pedigree strikes me as verging on the insane.

Name an England manager (apart from Alf Ramsey) where this hasn't been the case.

I personally don't think that there is anybody better qualified than Sven to do the job and I think a lot of people are going to wish we hadn't done this. Even if it was a free choice of any manager in the world I would guess there would only really be three that anybody would be unanimous in the belief that it would be a good choice- Mourinho, Benitez and Wenger- and they are all F-ing foreign. If he does go before the World Cup, which must now be quite likely, then we should go to Arsene Wenger on our knees, cap in hand (and presumably with a large check) to ask for him to take charge just for the world cup with Stuart Pearce. That is the only arrangement where I could see the side actually benifitting from this whole fiasco. If we end up with McClaren or Allerdyce some of you clowns are going to be sorry. No time to build up and get to know the team, tactical styles that don's suit the English side. Well done England for doing the best we can to screw ourselves over.

He played striker for Monaco under Wenger before that but then was switched to the wing because they had a Brazillian up front (junior something, can't remember exactly). Defo started out as a striker though. Also he was rated. Juventus paid Monaco 14 million pound for him.

Henry sort of, although he was a striker then a winger then a striker again. I think SWP was a striker who became a winger. Duff did a decent job for ROI as a striker as did Giggs for Wales.

Goddammit!!!!! Without him we are looking a bit screwed. Kuqi and Bentley up front isn't going to drive the Man U back four to tears is it

This is going to need a supreme effort from us to get through, but I reckon we can do it. Utd are missing key players and will be tired after busting a gut against Liverpool while Bellers will be fresh for us. A bigquestion mark is who to play up with Bellers. I can't imagine Kuqi causing Brown and Fedinand too many problems. The other options would be Pedersen or Bentley. Who knows? My guess at the team:

Well I think by common consensus he is Manchester United's and England's best player and one of the most coveted talents in the world. I mean that's like me saying Cahill rubbish because he hasn't won a trophy. I would say if Walcott makes an imapct over the next few months and looks a better bet than the player he is going to take the place of then of course we should take him. Thats how football works.

I am not sure what you have just said there is entirely rational. Im against the cards but we would hardly be opressing the Irish to have them if they came into our country, it would just mean that everybody would be on an even keel.

pah! I meant suspended, slip of the tongue.

We will have a better side out than Newcastle on Saturday but I just have a feeling we are going to lose this one, I hope I am wrong. Dickov and Bentley as an attacking force might not fare that well. If Bellamy was fit I would think we would stand a much better chance. Side I would expect: 1-2 Savage, Shearer, Solano

I do rate Hughes as a better manager than Pearce, although I am impressed by psycho I have to say. The thing is ptting a swede or an italian or a brazillian in charge of the team is one thing. Putting a welshman, scotsman or irishman in charge is quite another. I don't think the FA would go for it, I don't think the fans would go for it. And for that matter I don't think Hughes would go for it. Saying that I dare say they had a look at Alex Ferguson and would of given him the job if he was interested, but he is the most successful British manager of all time so therefore a bit of an exception. So if Hughes was a bonafide top draw, tens of trophies under his belt manager the FA might have a look, but if he is just "up and coming" they are never going to give it to a welshman. Also there is an issue of pride as many weshman considered Hughes ultimately a failure for wales. Would the FA want to employ a man considered to be a failure for Wales. Never going to happen. ps. I bet you £ 200 that Hughes will not be the England manager within the next four years.